Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06MADRID2956
2006-11-27 16:49:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Madrid
Cable title:
SPAIN: ACTIVE SUPPORT ON TURKEY/EU; WILL SEEK
how-toVZCZCXRO9327 PP RUEHLA DE RUEHMD #2956 3311649 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 271649Z NOV 06 FM AMEMBASSY MADRID TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 1374 INFO RUEHTH/AMEMBASSY ATHENS PRIORITY 0288 RUEHRL/AMEMBASSY BERLIN PRIORITY 0583 RUEHSL/AMEMBASSY BRATISLAVA PRIORITY 0135 RUEHCP/AMEMBASSY COPENHAGEN PRIORITY 4838 RUEHLI/AMEMBASSY LISBON PRIORITY 1644 RUEHLJ/AMEMBASSY LJUBLJANA PRIORITY 0229 RUEHNC/AMEMBASSY NICOSIA PRIORITY 1291 RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY 1207 RUEHPG/AMEMBASSY PRAGUE PRIORITY 1034 RUEHRA/AMEMBASSY RIGA PRIORITY 0083 RUEHTL/AMEMBASSY TALLINN PRIORITY 0106 RUEHVL/AMEMBASSY VILNIUS PRIORITY 0101 RUEHWR/AMEMBASSY WARSAW PRIORITY 0118 RUEHLA/AMCONSUL BARCELONA PRIORITY 2258 RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002956
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2016
TAGS: EUN PREL NATO SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN: ACTIVE SUPPORT ON TURKEY/EU; WILL SEEK
LEAST DAMAGING OPTION
REF: STATE 189542
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L MADRID 002956
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2016
TAGS: EUN PREL NATO SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN: ACTIVE SUPPORT ON TURKEY/EU; WILL SEEK
LEAST DAMAGING OPTION
REF: STATE 189542
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) DCM met with Alberto Navarro, Spanish Secretary of
State for the European Union, on November 24 to discuss the
future of Turkish accession into the EU. DCM asked Navarro
if Spain would be an active supporter of Turkey at the
December European Council and also asked what role France and
Germany could be expected to play. He noted U.S. concern
that Greece and Cyprus might move the debate to a point where
either the EU would close the accession process or Turkey
would have no choice but to quit the process.
2. (C) Navarro said that Spain is one of the strongest
supporters of Turkish accession and will seek to minimize any
damage to the process at the December European Council. He
noted that Turkey is enjoying large economic growth and
represents an excellent new market for European goods.
Turkey is Spain's second largest non-EU market and a large
buyer of Spanish-made high speed trains. On the military
side, Navarro pointed out that Turkey has the third largest
army in Europe. Finally, he cited Spanish-Turkish
collaboration on the Alliance of Civilizations as evidence of
the strong link between the two countries and a common
commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.
3. (C) On Turkish progress toward accession, Navarro told
the DCM that Turkey has made progress in many of the required
areas, including revision of the penal code, abolishment of
the death penalty and other initiatives. He expressed
concern that a European abandonment of Turkey would create a
void which eastern nations - Iran, Russia, China - would be
certain to fill.
4. (C) Navarro said that if there was no final agreement by
December 6, Spain would do everything possible to "do the
least harm" to the process. He mentioned three options -
freezing the process until after Turkish elections, freezing
commercial and political chapters while proceeding on
technical chapters, or agreeing to open only two chapters a
year for the immediate future. Spain noted that the UK and
Spain would work together in this effort although their
motivations are different. Navarro said Britain's support
for Turkey was based on the longstanding British objective of
weakening the EU by diluting it.
5. (C) Navarro stated his belief that France will publicly
go along with the process but is in a very difficult
position. He thought that Germany would support some sort of
privileged status for Turkey but not membership. Concluding,
Navarro told DCM that Spain would be a leading and
constructive player in the internal EU debate.
--------------
Visit Embassy Madrid's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/madrid/
--------------
AGUIRRE
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 11/27/2016
TAGS: EUN PREL NATO SP
SUBJECT: SPAIN: ACTIVE SUPPORT ON TURKEY/EU; WILL SEEK
LEAST DAMAGING OPTION
REF: STATE 189542
Classified By: DCM Hugo Llorens for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (C) DCM met with Alberto Navarro, Spanish Secretary of
State for the European Union, on November 24 to discuss the
future of Turkish accession into the EU. DCM asked Navarro
if Spain would be an active supporter of Turkey at the
December European Council and also asked what role France and
Germany could be expected to play. He noted U.S. concern
that Greece and Cyprus might move the debate to a point where
either the EU would close the accession process or Turkey
would have no choice but to quit the process.
2. (C) Navarro said that Spain is one of the strongest
supporters of Turkish accession and will seek to minimize any
damage to the process at the December European Council. He
noted that Turkey is enjoying large economic growth and
represents an excellent new market for European goods.
Turkey is Spain's second largest non-EU market and a large
buyer of Spanish-made high speed trains. On the military
side, Navarro pointed out that Turkey has the third largest
army in Europe. Finally, he cited Spanish-Turkish
collaboration on the Alliance of Civilizations as evidence of
the strong link between the two countries and a common
commitment to peace and stability in the Middle East.
3. (C) On Turkish progress toward accession, Navarro told
the DCM that Turkey has made progress in many of the required
areas, including revision of the penal code, abolishment of
the death penalty and other initiatives. He expressed
concern that a European abandonment of Turkey would create a
void which eastern nations - Iran, Russia, China - would be
certain to fill.
4. (C) Navarro said that if there was no final agreement by
December 6, Spain would do everything possible to "do the
least harm" to the process. He mentioned three options -
freezing the process until after Turkish elections, freezing
commercial and political chapters while proceeding on
technical chapters, or agreeing to open only two chapters a
year for the immediate future. Spain noted that the UK and
Spain would work together in this effort although their
motivations are different. Navarro said Britain's support
for Turkey was based on the longstanding British objective of
weakening the EU by diluting it.
5. (C) Navarro stated his belief that France will publicly
go along with the process but is in a very difficult
position. He thought that Germany would support some sort of
privileged status for Turkey but not membership. Concluding,
Navarro told DCM that Spain would be a leading and
constructive player in the internal EU debate.
--------------
Visit Embassy Madrid's Classified Website;
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/madrid/
--------------
AGUIRRE